The Government has announced that from 1 April 2026 until 31 March 2029 a new Crisis and Resilience Fund will be launched in England.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund will provide grant funding to local authorities in England to provide preventative support to communities, as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis.
The Council’s scheme will begin 1st April 2026.
Discretionary assistance
Discretionary assistance will be provided from the Crisis and Resilience fund to residents who are in crisis and severe financial difficulty including residents with significant debt.
The Council will be proactively working with financially vulnerable households to offer assistance and pathways to achieving financial resilience, including:
- pathways to financial resilience
- money and debt advice
- benefit advice
- employment advice
- access to education and skilling
- debt reduction
- purchase of essential items
- short term daily living assistance.
Apply for Crisis and Resilience Support
Grant criteria
Applications for discretionary assistance will be assessed using the following criteria.
- Hillingdon residents who are in crisis and severe financial difficulty. This could include those with significant debts.
- Hillingdon residents who are on a low-income and are financially struggling with day-to-day costs, paying essential utility bills, or meeting other essential living costs.
- Hillingdon households who face a financial crisis and require support to build financial resilience.
Please note:
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Applications will only be accepted from residents living within the borough of Hillingdon.
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If you live with a spouse or partner, you must make a joint application for your household, even if your spouse/partner is not applying. Your eligibility will depend on your joint income and savings.
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All applications relating to discretionary support require proof of household income, which must include:
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2 most recent payslips/proof of earnings and or benefits statements
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Last 2 months bank account statements, savings statements and investments statements
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A completed income and expenditure form for the household.
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We may also request further information relating to your income and expenditure during the application assessment.
Where the necessary supporting evidence is not included, applications will be rejected.
Housing payments
Housing payments replace Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) from Wednesday 1 April 2026.
A housing payment can be made to residents who are entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit housing costs but need further financial assistance with the shortfall between their Housing Benefit award and their rent i.e. a top up.
Find out more on the Discretionary Housing Payments scheme changes page.
This page will be regularly updated from April 2026 onwards.
